After spending the wedding night at the palace, they discovered each other as husband and wife—two souls and bodies becoming one. The next day, they flew out by helicopter for a month's break, starting with the Costa del Sol, where the yacht was waiting for their arrival. They then backtracked.

Without Hussein, who was watching over the country, with basic guards for their protection, yet kept their distance, and had all the privacy they needed when on board—also dressed as tourists to blend in.

Opened her eyes to the world and what was on offer, losing herself in the richness and history of the country, as they walked through the streets, trying their cuisine, immersing themselves.

They started with the rock of Gibraltar, at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, with the famous rock, where they took a cable car to the top and took in the sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the coastline of Morocco.

Entertained by the wild monkeys, mischievous ones, they had to monitor one's belongings, since they loved taking trophies, especially if shiny. Then moved on down to the stroll through the picturesque alleyways of the old town, having coffee, meeting the locals, with a vibrant atmosphere, picking up a few souvenirs on the way back to the yacht, and chocolates to share after dinner.

Then moved on cruising the Costa del Sol, the southern coastline of Spain, followed by France, Monaco, making many stops on the way, always stayed on the yacht at night, after dinner on land, days exploring different ports where they anchored or just out of port.

And had more freedom to show her affection to her husband, who had wakened her to the delights of carnal pleasure, her very loving, passionate lover, who opened up a new world to her, needing to touch him all the time, even in the slightest of manners. He only had to look at her, and she was tingly. 

She was always watching him, love the way he walked, talked, and even ate, more aware of him than before, even of herself, her senses alive.

They also spent days on the yacht, lounging by the spa pool, or exploring private coves, picnicking, and swimming in crystal waters.

The yacht anchored out to sea.

Then they headed into Italy, where Khayri instructed her to pack a small bag for an overnight stay and to wear her swimsuit under the sundress she'd selected, showing him to lower and placed on the bed, and she crawled across where he was still in bed towards him. 

"Are you going to tell me what you've got planned?"

He smiled, placing arms behind his head, biceps bulging, expanding his chest. Her breath hitched. "It's a surprise." She straddled across his middle, only wearing a bathrobe that fell open as she leaned over him, much to his delight. "And this won't work."

"It won't?" she dared, leaning in closer, placing her lips on his, kissing him, and pulling away on his bottom lip.

"You realise this is going to put our schedule out," he said, voice hoarse, wrapping arms around her.

"I didn't realise we were on a schedule," only to squeal with laughter as she tumbled onto her back.

Khayri hovered over her, sheets tangled around his legs. 

She learnt clothes weren't required. He preferred sleeping naked.

At first self-conscious, until he taught her to love her body, she was perfect as she was and would change nothing about her.

The bathrobe soon dispensed with, time forgotten, schedule out the window.

Much later than planned, off the coast of Italy, they headed off in a speed boat unescorted, heading away from the yacht. Nikki laughing as she got sprayed with water.

Khayri was at the wheel, seeing the younger man enjoying himself, leaving behind the burden of the palace, not that he would see it that way, his hair blown back from the wind.

He thrived on it, also saw he needed that time away to find himself to be who he was.

As she had done, through Cobra, leading her to Khayri and out here they can be freer with their affection for each other, more than just words. Could show him how much she loved this man and what he did to her.

The man with one look melted her into a puddle of need. Just thinking about him, turned her insides out, reliving every kiss, every touch and his ever so clever hands and mouth. The things he did to her can only be called x-rated, leaving Cobra for dead.

He had skills and loved exploring every part of his body. Love the way he reacted to her touch, always leaving her wanting more, even if spent. She even went back to read the sex scenes she skipped before, to become aroused, replacing Cobra with Khayri.

Even though Cobra wasn't about love.

It's just sex to him, a means to an end.

Didn't everyone have needs? Release, looking at Khayri with longing, even after a long leisurely morning in bed, even after a long night of passion, making her wonder how they were supposed to hide that in the open, especially in his country.

A slow smile curled her lips. She got in those secret kisses, maybe...

"Nikki!" Khayri moaned, bringing her back to reality. Not how to seduce her husband with wickedly delicious sex. Her fingers were on the edge of his short, slipping under to ease back. "Beloved really? Do you want us to have an accident?"

Heat flushed her cheeks. He still made her blush with heat. "Sorry, mind drifting." Then grinned. "See what Cobra is missing out on, to feel connected." To be growled at.

"If that happens, there will be no more Cobra. Do you want that?"

"Unless it's warrior Zelda and have adventures together," she pointed out.

"He will never survive. I'm barely," he grumbled under his breath. "Not happening, so try to behave."

"We are in Italy. Latin. Full of passion, you will fit in perfectly," she purred in his ear. Standing at his side, trailing fingers down his back, topless. "They almost have sex in the streets."

"Not where we are going. And no, we are not, not even Cobra does."

"I didn't say we should. I was making a statement about their passionate nature. Are you complaining?" she asked innocently, paying with his hair on the nape of his neck. "I can step back."

"No, you don't. And we both know it." He released a long breath. "Neither can I. Let's just keep it that way and private."

She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "As usual." Feeling his back relax. "When?"

Laughing, he placed an arm around her, and guided her in front of him, steering one handed. "I'm not sure how Zelda is going to handle the closed door."

Nikki leaned back against him, closing her eyes, feeling the wind and water spray on her face, smelling the salt in the air, aware of his fingers caressing her midriff over the maroon loose dress, tingling under his touch that rippled through her body.

"Maybe we should give her a playmate."

"We shall see, as long as we don't go into breeding as in showing and selling."

"Of course not, just for our babies," she purred. His hand splayed across her flat belly. They hadn't used protection, wanting to start a family and see what happens. They needed heirs, but they were more interested in having a family, a large one.

It's lonely at the top.

Their children would live a carefree life, filled with laughter and joy, loved. More than just a palace. She would make sure of it. Khayri had his cousins, and was surrounded by other children the same age.

She had only had Vincent, that had changed to be alone behind closed doors. Not anymore. She was free and flying with her man at her side. They had found each other.

As Cobra had found Nikki the camel.

As they travelled from place to place, sunning on the yacht, she had been reading the new book, going back to where it all went wrong, showing his side, through emotions, not just telling a story or action, falling deeper into Cobra's world, who he was, still no family.

Just who he was.

Complicated, taking her time, absorbing every single word, not wanting it to end. Then he meets Nikki, the most irritating stubborn camel, a thorn in his side with an attitude that had her splatting with laughter, having Khayri raising his sunglasses, eyeing her off.

"Nikki, I love her." 

"Of course, you do," dropping his sunglasses back into place, yet he smiled, knowing he had based the camel on her when they had first met. Irritating. Her stubbornness to stay even entered the desert oasis alone, not knowing she was in real danger, yet they had connected. 

Nikki the camel came charging in to save Cobra's life, and they rode out to safety.

The rest was history, just like them.

Contented, she looked all around her. In the open water, yet heading towards an island that looked isolated. "So where are we?"

"See that island?" he pointed in front of them.

"Yes?"

"Good." She titled her head off to the side and eyed him off, which told her nothing.

"Do I have to do a Nikki on you?"

His chin rested on top of her head as she nestled back. "A Nikki?"

"Where I irritate the hell out of you, be a thorn in your side, until you can't help loving me, the one with attitude."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Steering off to the side around the island and kept going around to the other side, then straight ahead.

She looked behind her. "What happened to the island?"

"A decoy," as they headed straight into the port of Genoa with bright coloured buildings and rising higher with the hillside of the mountainous terrain. Moored the boat, exchanged for a sports car and drove out of the city and headed inland, driving through Italy's mountainous terrain towards Milan.

Characterised by the Apennine mountain range, with a significant portion of the journey running through steep valleys and hills, through tunnels and elevated tracks, through straightforward, even if windy.

An over 3-hour road trip of Lake Como, stopping once for coffee and something to eat, further inland than other places they had visited.

Nikki didn't need to know where they were going or why, having an inkling, enjoying the sights. She had seen so much in the last few weeks, more than her entire life and experienced so much, through senses, sight, taste and smell.

Arriving at Como, they swapped the car for another boat, and took across the lake, both seated in the back enjoying the views of the lake and surrounding mountains as they crossed over the lake, a thirty-minute ride.

Khayri pointed out sights as they followed the coastline of the lake, showing her he had been here before. Approaching a peninsula of the lake, with landscaped grounds and tall magnificent cypress trees standing like tall guards out of sculptured small trees, also a row taller ones, in a line towards the coniferous forests of the cliff side.

An extraordinary villa at the foot of the cliff with a barrel clay tiles roof, on top of the largest building, was a bell hanging surrounded by a sculptured metal. They pulled up beside the steps that lead to the property. Khayri helped her out of the boat, walked the small arched bridge, whereas the boat backed away.

They headed up through gated pillars with carved stone statues on both sides, creeping ivy on the side walls and under steps leading towards an ochre-coloured house with blue shuttered doorways under a tile roof entrance with provided seating and table.

Nikki looked around, having all the privacy they needed, with landscaped grounds, what she had seen from the ride. The only accessible way in. Also filled with sculptures, exotic plants, azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons.

Reaching out to touch the large terracotta urn with small handles, decades old, at the top of the stairs, smaller rounded urns following the stairs towards the water.

So far removed from the palace, which was more about pavements, water features and landscaped grounds, yet not as much greenery.

"This place is amazing."

"Built in 1920, restored with Italian antiques and vintage furniture. That was used as a resort and I bought it to turn it back into a home."

She peered across. "Your parents?"

"Yes." She looked over, taking the surrounding mountains in all directions and the lake. "What's the weather like?"

"A sub-Mediterranean climate, warm in the summer but cold in the winter."

"It must have taken some time to get used to after living in the heat of the desert. Do you even have seasons?"

"Yes, like everywhere else, even gets cold in winter."

"Yeah right. This is nice," she lifted her face into the gentle cool breeze, also the sun that warmed her skin that had chilled from the boat ride. Even better when his arms folded around her, feeling his lips on her cheek, clutching at his arms.

"Are you disrespecting me? Only weeks into our marriage and this is what I get."

Laughing, she tilted her head back onto his shoulder. "Never. I wouldn't dare."

"Yes, you would. Try to behave yourself."

He kissed her cheek then released her at the sound of approaching steps, both turning where a round woman rushed towards them, speaking Italian, hands waving in gesture and gathered Khayri's face in her hands and kissing his cheeks.

Lucky for her.

Mind you, the woman looked more like a mother figure than a threat to get her husband's attention. Khayri repeated the gesture, speaking the language, hearing her name. The woman gasped, breaking out in her language, hands gesturing.

"Welcome, child, welcome," she broke out in English to receive the same greeting as Khayri.

Nikki embraced it, hugging her back.

"Nikki, this is Sophia, the woman who looks after my parents. Without her, I don't know how we would survive. Sophia, my wife Nikki."

"They didn't tell me you were coming."

"They don't know, big secret." He pressed a finger against his lips.

Her head bobbed up and down, grey streaked dark hair fell around her face that she pushed away, eyes glistening with tears. "This way," Sophia led them away towards another building via stairs.

"Let me guess the pool," Khayri said, holding out his hand towards Nikki, who took it, and followed towards a single-level building, a smaller version of the triple-level main house, in colour and design. "This is the pool house. Let's see this first."

Then spoke to Sophie, who nodded and rushed off, leaving Khayri to show her the pool house, which contained a modern home theatre, fully equipped gym, with a spa style bathroom.

There's a spacious seating area next to windows that overlook the pool, gardens, and lake. He guided her away from. Also, a small kitchen for grabbing poolside refreshments.

Opening the fridge Khayri removed small bottles of water, handing one to Nikki, taking it with a thank you, unscrewed and took a deep drink of the cold water, deposing on the way in a bin, then headed out, up more stairs past a pool, where a couple where lounging on a grass area, beyond the surrounding decking of the infinity L-shaped pool.

Nikki slowed her steps, hanging back behind the Khayri, taking in the couple. His mother was a classic beauty with dark hair and dark eyes, with a stunning figure. Not as old as she expected. Maybe because of his illness, she had thought that.

After all, Khayri is only in his mid thirties.

However, his father looked older with gaunt features, yet his eyes were so lively and alert. Khayri dropped back, taking hold of her hand and brought her forward to present her. "Nikki, I want you to meet my parents. Hanna and Ashraf,"

She stepped towards his parents and bowed her head out of respect. "Your majesties."

Hanna rose from her husband's side, stretched out on a lounge, dressed in shorts and little else, not looking like royalty at all, though was alarmingly thin, breaking her heart.

"Child, we have no titles. We don't exist in the real world, yet my son brought you here, so you are the one."

"The one?" she gulped.

"That one spreading her magic that he fell in love with you and I couldn't be happier." Henna took her face in her hands and kissed her cheeks, one after the other. "Welcome child." Fighting tears, hugging her. "Please call us mama, and papa. That's who we are to you."

"Mama," Nikki said, choked. Something she had never said before. It had always been Auntie Jean and Uncle Ric. Never her parents, sighing, her family.

"Come and meet your papa," Hanna guided her over.

"Papa," she whispered, to have a trembling hand reach out and touch her cheek.

"Look after my son, as my wife looked after me."

"I will," she promised, where they all settled down around his father.

Seeing what Khayri had done for them, Nikki never felt prouder of him. She leaned in closer, claiming Khayri's hand, sharing the sun lounge, looking across to his father.

"Papa, your people are in safe hands. He has opened my eyes to your world and I love it," she gushed. 

Maybe through Hussein Abdul, yet it had been all Khayri. 

All Kahyri, and she gets all that to herself.

"Don't you mean Hussein Abdul?" Ashraf corrected with a gleam in his eye. "We know all about you, Nikki. You're exactly what he needed."

Her eyes widened. "You read Walker?"

"Of course," he beamed.

"We love his antics," Hanna noted.

Nikki leaned closer. "How close to the truth are they?"

"We can neither confirm nor deny," came from his father, with a twinkle in his eyes.

He seemed to perk up in front of her eyes.

"I see Khayri in him, looking out. Have you read the latest?" It's so nice to talk about the book that wasn't Khayri or Hussein.

"You mean Nikki?" His eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Don't ask," she pulled a face. He laughed. He even sounded louder.

Sophie approached with refreshments, giving Nikki a famous Italian drink. That she eyed off, also placed down a plate of antipasto for grazing and sharing.

Nikki and his father settled in talking about Cobra.

Henna glanced at her son, who shrugged. "Let's leave them to it," he suggested. They both stood. Nikki settled in with his father by the pool, under the shade of an umbrella, enjoying an Aperol spritz, while his father stuck with espresso.

Khayri walked off with his mother, walking the ground via the paved walkways around the grounds of three-hectare garden, that showed cased the majestic landscaping, with lots of curves, the cypress trees added ambiance to the grounds, around the three main building structure, beyond a tennis court, and another building, the terrace house.

"You look good, son. Different. Not so serious," Henna noted.

A smile curled his lips, eyes crinkling at the edges.

Since meeting Nikki, he did smile and laugh more, regretting now he hadn't spent more time in Dubai, like Hussein had. Then again, she was wary of him and much more open with Hussein.

"It's called the Nikki influence. She affects everyone she meets." Henna had to agree, the way her husband had perked up, and waved them away. Something he rarely did these days, needing her around, growing weaker.

It had been hard to give up everything, and there's no way of going back. Hopefully, this will change, now that their son is married, after the last disaster.

And he had never looked so happy, and chatty, when he used to be much more reserved. Not as a child, they couldn't shut him up and his curious mind. It seemed this Nikki had opened him up again, after closing down after the last wedding that didn't happen.

"How is she finding palace life?" Not born into the lifestyle, it's a tremendous disadvantage and only a few commoners ever make it to the end. Even those that are a part of the world can crumble under the pressure.

"Takes it in her stride. Wants to do far too much. So involved and learning everything she can about who we are."

Henna gave him a sideways look. "You're not sure that is a good thing?"

"I don't want her to have a burnout, and on top of that, she wants to have a large family."

She laughed with delight. "How are you going to handle that?"

"I had my cousins, Hussein." Then grew sober. "Nikki had no one, not in the proper sense."

And explained the situation, because he told her everything. She had missed these talks. His father was more about the palace, and she was about life, two sides of the coin.

His childhood had been idyllic, full of love and laughter. She had made sure of it and also had to be who he was.

A ruler, an emir of his country.

"After everything Nikki has been through, by the looks of things, she's a very well-adjusted person," Henna noted.

"She takes people as she finds them. Titles mean nothing to her, yet also respectful."

"But she must have had someone to show her love."

"That would be the staff, her friends, who looked after her. The gist is she went to school, then after that she lost all contact with the world, kept behind closed doors. It was a strange situation. This Vincent used to be close to Nikki, then changed when he became her guardian." 

"And she stayed," she said. "There is your proof of strength of character."

"Yes, I know, stubborn as hell," he said with exasperation and also admiration.

"Ah, Nikki," she laughed. "Stubborn, irritating? Really?"

"That was just me being a pain in the..." he dropped out with a sheepish look at her raised brow. "Let's just say. I was slow to catch on. That bouncy, bubbly ray of sunshine was the real deal. I didn't know at the time that she was having her first experience of being free and seeing the world she had fallen in love with, even had a camel backpack that went everywhere with her, called Hussein. Hussy for short."

"Oh," her eyes widened. "That explains Cobra."

"We were destined to cross paths."

A smile caressed her lips. "I didn't think you believed in such things."

"Nikki pointed out our history is about destiny, magic, and storytelling."

"Ah, I see," she nodded, stopping to enjoy the view from higher ground, fabulous views of Lake Como surrounded by mountains, across to the buildings, over the L-shaped infinity pool, where her husband was sitting up, the lounge back raised giving him support.

The lapping water against the rocky edge below drowned out voices.

Khayri stood at her side, hands in pockets, following her direction. "How is he?"

"Until today, I wasn't sure how long he had left. Every day he seemed to grow weaker, now he was like his old self. I think he was missing the palace. This, you getting married is just what he needed, meeting her, something we were hoping for, not sure what to expect." She squeezed his arm at the flash of guilt in his eyes. "We understand."

"If Nikki gets her way, we will see a lot more of each other. Knowing my wife, she will make it happen."

Henna smiled. "Her stubbornness." He had to agree. "But you don't find her irritating anymore?" she dared.

"No, most agreeable in the most perfect way," trying not to smile, yet his eyes gleamed by the twinkle in his mother's eyes.

"So what about this, Vincent?"

"Complicated, and I'm dealing with it."

"And Nikki?"

"Hard. She had a wonderful childhood with him, then changed, when he became her guardian, passed on from his parents, yet never told her about her Langley inheritance, her legacy. He never got her to sign anything, like to change everything to his name.

As CEO, he had power, yet restricted by the clauses that were put in place. Nikki would have signed nothing without knowing what she was signing. How could he explain an entire business from her family side without exposing himself? So kept her in the dark.

Langley was just a name to her, not who her family was. One of the wealthiest families in Australia, connected all over the world with his business. Vincent has looked after the business, even increased it, going back when he had taken over from his parents to look after her interest since she was twelve. Nikki didn't know who she was or what she was worth.

She lost her parent when she was a baby and was looked after by his family. He kept her on a tight leash, gave her whatever she wanted apart from her freedom." He took a deep breath. "There was a trust fund she should have received at eighteen."

His mother gasped, shocked. "That she never received?"

"Not quite," he corrected. "It was there that he set up to be used to buy what she needed, clothes, books which were brought to her, yet never allowed access."

"How did you find out about this if Nikki didn't know?"

"After what happened, I knew something wasn't right. The way she reacted towards him, not scared by cowering down. So had a deep probe into his life and family."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"Get back what belongs to Nikki and make sure he has nothing to do with it. At this stage, he is not doing any funny activity. Now she has married, the business belongs to her instead of the age of thirty. He probably thought he was safe for another six years. Then she married me, thinking still not an issue because she lives in a different country, and didn't know about the business. So letting him think that until I'm ready to strike."

"And how will Nikki take that? She knows now?"

"Yes, because she had a right to know. We don't keep secrets. Not sure, she just doesn't want to know at this stage. It was a lot for her to take in. My lawyers have got everything in place ready to move when needed."

"I think you will find she is happy with her lot," smiling as she watched as Nikki removed her clothes, revealing bathers and dived into the pool. "I think we better head back. Your father needs a rest, and you and Nikki can have some quiet time together. After all, it is your honeymoon."

She kissed his cheek, then they headed back.

Where Khayri spent a time alone with his wife in the heated pool, while his father rested under protest, only to be pointed out they had a special dinner that night.